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The aim of this thesis was to study English teachers' approaches, methods and beliefs that link to teaching grammar to students in Sweden. The research has revolved around how frequently grammar is taught, what approaches are used and what methods are favored by English teachers in Swedish secondary and upper secondary schools. The respondents were 51 teachers recruited through a convenient sampling in the Facebook group “Nätverk för lärare i engelska”. The study used a mixed method with a survey as the data collection instrument. The results show that English teachers in secondary schools and upper secondary schools in Sweden occasionally use grammar teaching. On a four-grade scale ranging from Very Occasionally to Very Often the mean response was 2.36. In terms of preferred approach, the results indicated that a planned approach was preferred by a small margin. These results are in contradiction to previous research on English grammar teaching in Sweden which shows that teachers prefer an incidental approach to grammar teaching. The present study indicates that teachers favored interactive methods of grammar teaching. The two most favored methods were the Task-Based method where students complete tasks in pairs or groups, and the Communicative Language Teaching where students learn through discussions. Analyzing teachers’ beliefs on grammar teaching, the present study focused on the open-ended questions in the survey. The responses indicated that context to grammar teaching is extremely vital according to the teachers who responded to the survey. As previously mentioned, the present study contradicts previous studies in terms of preferred approach to grammar teaching. However, the present study coincides with previous research in terms of preferred methods both in international research but also in Sweden specifically, which is that teachers prefer interactive methods of grammar teaching that involve inductive learning.

The Swedish curriculum emphasizes the importance of pupils’ active learning, influence over the education and communicative skills in language learning. The Storyline approach has since its entry in the educational context in the 1960s, influenced teaching all over the world. The approach emphasizes pupils’ interest, meaning-making processes and creativity and thus agrees well with the content of the Swedish curriculum. This research overview aims to offer insight into how the Storyline approach can affect pupils in an English as a second language context, in different ways. It focuses primarily on how the Storyline approach can promote pupils’ second language acquisition, what impact the story and its characters have on pupils’ motivation and what effects the aesthetics in Storyline have on pupils. It also gives an overview of challenges that pupils and teachers might encounter while working with a Storyline project. The findings of the study indicate that the Storyline approach, through group work and communicative, meaningful tasks, promote pupils’ learning of English. Moreover, the context of the story and the characters seem to enhance pupils’ intrinsic motivation to learn the English language and the aesthetics can make pupil active agents in their learning process and mediate their knowledge. However, the Storyline approach also involves different challenges for both pupils and teachers, such as trying to find a balance between the teacher’s and the pupils’ control, keeping the story and the characters alive throughout the whole project, dealing with lack of time, group work issues and presenting the work in front of other pupils.

Tesis por compendio / [ES] Esta tesis tiene como objetivo promover la colaboración entre profesores de L2, profesionales de las Tecnologías de la Información y estudiantes de L2 que abordan la tecnología del siglo XXI con una mentalidad digital. Específicamente, busca proporcionar soluciones prácticas para la memorización y el compromiso eficientes del vocabulario SL/LE/L2 mediante el uso mnemónico de memoria espacial y entornos inmersivos. Metodológicamente cuenta con la recopilación de datos numéricos analizados estadísticamente y con la exploración subjetiva compartida por los participantes. El texto es un compendio de artículos publicados que destacan diferentes aspectos del contenido de la tesis. El autor tuvo en mente una pregunta común para los estudios cuantitativos: si el enfoque experimental demostraría resultados estadísticamente significativos en comparación con las técnicas de control donde las preguntas abiertas eran la base para las investigaciones cualitativas. Además, se utilizaron encuestas para obtener opiniones en un formato estandarizado. Todos los estudios realizados demostraron la efectividad de la espacialización mnemotécnica en combinación con AR, VR y dentro de un videojuego exploratorio, y reunieron información valiosa de los participantes individuales. Investigaciones complementarias confirmaron la predilección de los estudiantes por cursos personalizados y la necesidad de innovaciones didácticas. / [CA] Aquesta tesi té com a objectiu promoure la col·laboració entre professors de L2, professionals de les Tecnologies de la Informació i estudiants de L2 que aborden la tecnologia del segle XXI en una mentalitat digital. Específicament, persegueix proporcionar solucions pràctiques per a la memorització i el compromís eficients del vocabulari SL/L1/L2 mitjançant l'ús mnemònic de memòria espacial i entorns immersius. Metodològicament compta amb la recopilació de dades numèriques analitzades estadísticament i amb l'exploració subjectiva compartida pels participants. El text és un compendi d'articles publicats que destaquen diferents aspectes del contingut de la tesi. L'autor va tindre en ment una pregunta comuna per als estudis quantitatius: si l'enfocament experimental demostraria resultats estadísticament significatius en comparació a les tècniques de control on les preguntes obertes eren la base per a les investigacions qualitatives. A més, es van utilitzar enquestes per a obtenir opinions en un format estandarditzat. Tots els estudis realitzats van demostrar l'efectivitat de l'espacialització mnemotècnica en combinació amb AR, VR i dins d'un videojoc exploratori, i van reunir informació valuosa dels participants individuals. Investigacions complementàries van confirmar la predilecció dels estudiants per cursos personalitzats i la necessitat d'innovacions didàctiques. / [EN] This thesis is aimed at promoting collaboration among L2 teachers, IT professionals, L2 students tackling 21st century technology, and the modern digitally minded public. Specifically, it seeks to provide practical solutions for efficient SL/FL/L2 vocabulary memorisation and engagement via the use of visuospatial mnemonics in immersive environments. Methodologically it counts on a collection of numerical data analysed statistically and by exploring a subjective perspective shared by the participants. The manuscript is a compendium of published papers that highlight different aspects of the thesis content. The author kept in mind a common question for quantitative studies which was if the experimental approach would demonstrate statistically significant results in comparison to control techniques while open-ended questions were the base for qualitative inquiries. In addition, surveys were used to obtain opinions in a standardized format. All the studies conducted both demonstrated the effectiveness of mnemonic spatialization in combination with AR, VR and within an explorative videogame, and collected valuable insights from individual participants. Supplementary research confirmed students' predilection for tailor-made courses and the need for didactic innovations. / Larchen Costuchen, A. (2023). Spatial Mnemonics for L2 Vocabulary Recall. Customized Training for 21st Century Students [Tesis doctoral]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/195731 / Compendio

The problem this study addresses is the continuing ineffective teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) despite the popularity of in-service (INSET) programmes. As a means of situational analysis, ethnographic approaches were used to investigate the INSET participants in the four-year degree programme at the University of Botswana. Responses to one inventory containing second language teaching activities showed that the activities respondents know to characterize ESL classrooms do not facilitate much verbal teacher-pupil/pupil-pupil interaction. Responses to another inventory containing idealised course content showed evidence of needs the preparation programme was ignoring. This confirmed one of two study hypotheses that: there are specific second language teaching needs being ignored by preparation programmes for primary school language teachers. Document analysis verified the assumptions about what classroom English Language Teaching (ELT) was expected to achieve. However, lesson observation revealed that the products of the programme still taught and perceived English as a mental exercise, with the following results: the lessons were complicated, uninspiring, unenjoyable, restrictive, and ineffective. Questionnaire and interview results confirmed the second study hypothesis that: the confidence of non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs) with regard to competence in English, which affects the effectiveness and efficiency of their teaching, is low. As a solution a model specifying the essential programme components for preparing ELT specialists in the primary school is proposed. The proposed model is however not prescriptive and the proposed content is neither exhaustive nor limiting, but only broadly suggestive of the content of each instructional component. It is hoped that the product of the proposed model will become not only a well-educated person in the arts but also a highly proficient and self-confident person in ELT. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Name of the thesis is "Effects of the Teaching Czech as a Second Language" and in its first part presents theoretical introduction to the field of study, empirical researches of student's productive skills (Czech as a foreign language) follow (speaking, writing). First part is focused on theoretical knowledges of second language acquisition, options and approaches to exploration of language's errors and approach and viewing of errors and mistakes in general, especially in foreign researches and literature. Bigger attention is paid to selected analyzes, those are basic instruments for making of practical part of the thesis. It is especially error analysis (EA) and analysis of fluency and accuracy. Because the thesis's topic is concerned to effects of teaching and affecting factors, there are defined terms of pedagogy and psychology in theoretical part. In practical part there is presented empirical execution of mentioned analyzes, its comparison, evaluation and making conclusions in relation to appointed variables, or rather determinants, which enter the education process. Beside these instruments the research uses questionnaires and evaluation sheets for (self)reflection of student and lecturer. The aim of the thesis firstly is mapping of student's interlanguage progress thanks to case study, and...

The problem this study addresses is the continuing ineffective teaching of English as a Second Language (ESL) despite the popularity of in-service (INSET) programmes. As a means of situational analysis, ethnographic approaches were used to investigate the INSET participants in the four-year degree programme at the University of Botswana. Responses to one inventory containing second language teaching activities showed that the activities respondents know to characterize ESL classrooms do not facilitate much verbal teacher-pupil/pupil-pupil interaction. Responses to another inventory containing idealised course content showed evidence of needs the preparation programme was ignoring. This confirmed one of two study hypotheses that: there are specific second language teaching needs being ignored by preparation programmes for primary school language teachers. Document analysis verified the assumptions about what classroom English Language Teaching (ELT) was expected to achieve. However, lesson observation revealed that the products of the programme still taught and perceived English as a mental exercise, with the following results: the lessons were complicated, uninspiring, unenjoyable, restrictive, and ineffective. Questionnaire and interview results confirmed the second study hypothesis that: the confidence of non-native English-speaking teachers (non-NESTs) with regard to competence in English, which affects the effectiveness and efficiency of their teaching, is low. As a solution a model specifying the essential programme components for preparing ELT specialists in the primary school is proposed. The proposed model is however not prescriptive and the proposed content is neither exhaustive nor limiting, but only broadly suggestive of the content of each instructional component. It is hoped that the product of the proposed model will become not only a well-educated person in the arts but also a highly proficient and self-confident person in ELT. / Educational Studies / D. Ed. (Didactics)

Bidirectional transfer in Hindi/Urdu speakers with Czech as a Second Language Nora Melnikova Abstract The aim of this project is to examine the influence of Hindi/Urdu on Czech in advanced Hindi L1 speakers of Czech as a Second Language, as well as the influence of Czech on their respective L1. This is the first project of its kind. So far, there has been no research on Hindi/Urdu L1 speakers of Czech, in spite of the fact that dozens Hindi/Urdu L1-speakers enroll in Czech language courses in India every year and thousands of Hindi/Urdu L1-speakers are permanent or long-term residents of the Czech Republic and have acquired Czech at various levels of proficiency. The practical objective of this thesis is to provide first empirically based insights for teachers of Czech as a Foreign/Second Language to Hindi/Urdu L1-speakers in India and in the Czech Republic, as well as for teachers of other Slavic languages. The study analyzes the language production of 10 Hindi/Urdu L1 speakers who have lived in the Czech Republic for at least 5 years. The analysis is based on recordings of informal conversations. The obtained linguistic data was compared with standard grammatical descriptions of Hindi/Urdu and Czech in order to perform error analysis. With the help of contrastive analysis, errors caused by language...

Research demonstrating the beneficial effects of corrective feedback (CF) for second language (L2) learning (e,g., Li, 2010) has almost invariably resulted from studies in which CF was provided immediately. Yet teachers are often encouraged to delay CF to avoid interrupting learners (Harmer, 2001). This study investigates how differences in the timing of CF on oral production affect L2 learning and learners’ reactions to CF. Theoretically, Immediate CF may facilitate L2 development by allowing learners to immediately compare their errors to accurate models (i.e., recasting, e.g., Doughty, 2001). The effectiveness of Immediate CF has also been linked to skill acquisition theory because some CF (i.e., prompting) is hypothesized to help learners proceduralize their L2 knowledge (Ranta & Lyster, 2007). This thesis introduces additional theoretical explanations to explain the effectiveness of both Immediate and Delayed CF. For example, reactivation and reconsolidation theory (Nader & Einarsson, 2010) holds that long-term mental representations are susceptible to change when they are recalled. Thus, both Immediate and Delayed CF may help learners alter their incorrect mental representations of language features if that CF reminds learners of those incorrect representations and provides them with accurate models. In a laboratory-based study, 90 intermediate-level adult ESL learners were randomly assigned to Immediate, Delayed, and No CF conditions. Learners took three pre-tests to measure their knowledge of the English passive construction: an aural grammaticality judgment test (AGJT), an oral production test (OPT), and a written error correction test (ECT). Next, they received some brief instruction on the passive. Learners then completed three communicative tasks in which the CF conditions were provided. These tasks were followed by immediate and delayed post-tests. Learners’ reactions to CF were elicited with a questionnaire. Mixed-design one-way ANOVAs revealed statistically significant improvement for all conditions over time on all measures, but no statistically significant differences between conditions. The questionnaires revealed that learners prefer Immediate CF, but that Immediate CF may constrain CF noticeability and learners’ independence, while Delayed CF may cause anxiety or embarrassment. In summary, altering the timing of CF did not differentially affect L2 development, but it did elicit different reactions from learners.